Direct Hydrocarbon Indicator (DHI) Mapping, Offshore Nova Scotia

Principal Investigator:

Matt Hall, Agile Geoscience

Start Date: January 2016

End Date: May 2016

Nova Scotia-based Agile Geoscience is reviewing existing seismic data held by the Department of Energy to identify and catalogue Direct Hydrocarbon Indicators (DHIs) in offshore Nova Scotia, particularly in the Laurentian and Georges Bank Sub-basins. DHIs are initially identified as anomalies in seismic datasets, which are then verified and evaluated using other data types collected from wells drilled in Nova Scotia’s offshore. This work builds on the maps and geodatabase of possible hydrocarbon leakage features already produced by Agile Geoscience in early 2015.

The outcome of this study, a comprehensive georeferenced database of the different DHI types, will prove useful to anyone exploring for oil and gas off coastal Nova Scotia, helping exploration companies identify promising places to explore, sample and ultimately drill for hydrocarbons. In collaboration with Department of Energy, Agile Geoscience will also provide a more geographically extensive plan of sub-basin evaluation to aid in future calls for exploration bids.